Final Fantasy VIII-2 Dark Abyss
by Carolusrex
Summary: The heroes who defeated Ultimecia must now face numerous threats released by her demise. Political betrayal, wars of nations and friends lost to memory who are now enemies are just the beginning. Squall and Rinoa will also have their bond tested as they and their allies finally face off against a new race determined to destroy their planet's mana and make it their own.
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters. It is awesome though and I am glad that I have finally started this project._

 **Chapter 1: Celebration**

Balamb Garden effortlessly coursed through the evening air, far above the moonlight reflecting waves of the ocean. The Garden was alive with celebration and music that endlessly flowed from its' dance hall. Everyone from Cadet to Headmaster was finding a way to relax and enjoy the victory gained against the Sorceress Adel and Ultimecia. Toasts were given in the names of the six brave SeeD heroes who had defied time compression and an alternate timeline to defeat them.

Conversations between comrades, friends and lovers buzzed and vibrated with excitement and relief as even serious SeeD members were seen giving each other high-fives and yelling out loud whoops of joy. The Garden itself seemed to come alive in a warm comforting light as it continued across the ocean with only the light of the full moon giving it guidance.

No one cheered louder than the leading member of the Summer Festival Committee, Selphie Tilmitt, who had found a video camera while prepping for the event and decided that she would capture every moment of happiness that she could. The spunky young woman was dressed in a freshly cleaned short yellow dress, polished leather boots and with hair bouncy and fun just like her personality. As a Committee member it was her first task to figure out how to turn the video camera on.

"Aaaaahhh!" Selphie squealed as the red recording light came on, she quickly turned the camera around to face the celebrating crowd and an unsuspecting Quistis next to her crush Irvine.

"Hey Quistis! Smile for the camera!"

Irvine was goofily dancing next to Quistis, who was doing her best to maintain her unwavering serious attitude around the tan trench coat wearing cowboy. Quistis' pink cloth dress was spotless and her whip securely fastened to her side as she always had it like she was ready for combat. Yet even her attitude was more cheerful than normal. She can be so serious sometimes. Selphie thought as she giggled to herself and captured the dancing Irvine.

"Quisty!" Selphie yelled again and this time was awarded with an uncomfortable grin and wave from Quistis, who continued her boring attitude until Irvine popped up next to her. Quistis scrunched up as Irvine gave her a small hug and brought her close to the camera as he waved at Selphie.

"Come on Quistis, stop being so uptight. Relax a little." Irvine said to the struggling Quistis.

"I'm doing just fine." Quistis responded, breaking free of his grasp.

"Well at least we got a wave!" Selphie yelled to Irvine. Irvine shook his head and Selphie followed the retreating Quistis to the old Headmaster, Cid. Oh! This will be important to get! Selphie thought to herself, thinking how she could edit this if Quistis continued being a poor sport.

Cid lifted his glass of fine wine in greeting to Quistis. "Good evening Instructor Trepe. I'm glad to see you in such good spirits!"

Quistis likely smiled despite herself. And I missed it., Selphie thought as she zoomed in a little more. She didn't hear Quistis' response but Cid smiled and then noticed they were being filmed. He respectfully toasted and smiled.

" I see why you were in such a hurry, hello Selphie!" Cid called out, while being careful not to spill on his usual attire and glasses. Loud boisterous SeeDs were behind them and Selphie had to adjust her camera quickly as Matron was spotted walking towards Cid and Quistis. Cid embraced his wife and brought her over to Quistis where they gave their greetings to one another. Irvine then came over, took his hat off and bowed to Matron and all words were lost as Selphie tried to increase the microphone volume. But too late, as Irvine turned around and snagged the video recorder away from her.

"Hey Selphie, a pretty girl shouldn't be the one left out of the fun. Let me have that." Irvine got the video recorder and lost his cowboy hat in the process as Selphie now bounced next to Quistis in the view. "I must be going mad, or you too gorgeous ladies are making the world spin."

"Just flip it Irvine!" Selphie said, motioning with her hands so he could get the device upright. "There you go!"

Irvine adjusted the the video recorder, then caught the eye of three admirers who he couldn't help but wave too.

"Blow a kiss to the camera ladies!" He called out as all three girls waved back flirtatiously. Selphie jumped in front of him with an unimpressed look.

"My fist is going to kiss your face if you don't focus Mr. Kinneas." She warned him.

"Just trying to get everyone involved Selphie." Irvine retorted, still smiling. "Besides, you didn't want Zell's eating habits to become the main focus did you?"

Zell Dincht was stuffing his face with as much hot dog as he could fit in his mouth. His librarian girlfriend had gone out of her way to ensure that he had a plateful waiting for him tonight. And he was doing his best to ensure he showed full appreciation as she sat next to him and giggled at his enthusiasm. Irvine zoomed up real close to Zell's face as Selphie and Quistis laughed at their friend. Irvine couldn't help himself and imitated Seifer's voice as he leaned in more.

"Not enough to be a Chicken-wuss, but now you're going to get fat too?" Irvine and the others couldn't help but laugh more at the joke, but then Zell began to choke. All three girls tried to help Zell recover, but he got mad at their laughter and scared them off once he could breathe again. Quistis, Selphie and Zell's girlfriend ran off and left an upset Zell looking around.

"I waited forever for these!" Zell challenged.

Irvined chuckled and imitated Seifer again, "Hey Chicken-wuss, you missed one!"

Zell looked in his direction with a wild look and then hurled a hot dog in a blinding fast motion at Irvine, knocking him back with the projectile of processed food.

"Then you eat it!" Zell yelled at him.

Smiling a little less and with a sore eye, Irvine recomposed himself as Selphie bounced in front of him, catching her breath from the hilarious scene she just witnessed. Seeing her short dress, boots and with his cowboy hat on made Irvine forget all the other ladies and decided to celebrate a little in his own fashion. His plan was dashed though as Selphie gasped and then quickly started pointing to the balcony outside of the Garden. "Irvine! Get Rinoa and Squall!"

Irvine directed the camera to Rinoa, who had looked over at someone to her right. But before he could get any of the action the video recorder died and he went ahead and turned it off and placed it in his coat pocket.

"Battery's dead darling, but I think Squall and Rinoa have the right idea." Irvine put his arms around Selphie and pulled her in for a kiss before she could react.

X

Outside on the balcony and only partially hidden away was the still new Headmaster and his Sorceress lover. Both of them close in a lovers embrace and unaware of all who were watching them. Squall couldn't be happier as he eagerly kissed the young woman wrapped in his arms. Sea wind blew by them, causing Rinoa to shiver slightly from the cold night breez. Squall kept her as warm as possible with his black leather jacket covered arms, but her smile to him as they parted lips told him that she was comfortable enough. She still wore her blue dress decorated in the back with white angel wings, and her black shorts and boots that Squall had become to admire how they show off her form. He wore his black leather coat, gloves and boots. White animal fur decorated the top of the coat and his had his numerous belts loaded with ammo on waist and hips, always ready for a fight. But right now fighting was the last thing on Squall's mind.

They had been through so much together, describing them as a mere two young lovers would be naïve. They shared the strong spiritual and mental bond as a Sorceress and Knight, romantic lovers and comrades in arms who had survived battle together. Though young, the past year had pushed them beyond their abilities and strengths to become resilient young leaders. Both knew that the world would not allow them much peace, but for now the balcony provided them with their much desired sanctuary for this one night.

Rinoa looked up and smirked at him for a moment, a look of mischief and fun crossing her face.

"What?" Squall asked, knowing she had something in mind.

"Since you're the hottest guy here…" She trailed off and grabbed his hand." You're going to dance with me."

Squall wasn't going to let her drag him on the dance floor a second time, so he took her other hand and pulled her close. "This is a good enough spot, and this time I will lead." He said with a smile, conducting a similar waltz like the one they did before. And not caring who watched.

X

Golden eyes belonging to an eighteen year old woman did watch Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly from afar. But not from inside the floating Garden. She followed Balamb Garden in a quiet and fast moving hoverboat just out of sight from any peering eyes. Three other women of similar age accompanied her on the craft. Each was her guardian and friend, if ordered they would join her and attack the Garden. But their relationship had been built on trust, and she wouldn't waste their lives on a suicidal attack. Even if her ex-lover would be the most vulnerable as this time. Defeating Sorceress Ultimecia had returned some measure of respect of Squall to her. Especially since she and her Garden had been prepared to capture the woman named Ellone and find a way to send themselves into the future to do the deed.

One of her three guardians, Aequitas, stepped forward. "He's alone, if we strike quickly we might be able to secure him."

She smiled, knowing how tempted she was. But her mind had been made up, and she would remind him that she still existed soon enough.

"No, let him enjoy this one evening. His world will be destroyed soon enough."


	2. Chapter 2

Squall's heart raced as he danced closely to his love Rinoa, her steps matching his as they gracefully moved together along the balcony outside of Balamb Garden. Rinoa's black hair twirled as Squall spun her around him and ended the motion with her close by him. She held him closely as their dance came to an end, her head feeling his lion's heart beat in his chest. She didn't want to let go as the warmth of his body filled hers. They both knew what waited for them outside of their embrace, but they would face it together.

"We should go give them what they want." Squall whispered. Rinoa shrugged slightly. Not really caring if they played the part of leader any more than they already did tonight.

"Make them wait a little longer." She replied. Squeezing a little harder and then let him go. Looking up at him with a troublemaker grin. "If they get impatient, the Sorceress in me will get them." Rinoa's eyes flashed a brief hint of gold before going back to their normal dark brown. She winked at Squall as his demeanor turned more serious at her playful display of power.

"You're getting more control of it." Squall stated. His brow furrowed a bit as he looked at her with his blue eyes. Concern flooded them, Squall knew she would face the roughest of opposition to her newfound powers now that the world no longer worried over the threat of Ultimecia. But for her sake tonight, he didn't mention it and changed his expression for sake of levity. Not an easy task for him.

"I've been doing small practices in my mind, seems to be working. I have to make my knight proud of me and be fierce like a lion. Remember?" Rinoa broke off and growled playfully.

Before Squall could respond he was interrupted by intruders entering the edge of their sanctuary. Ex-Headmaster Cid and Edea, now bereft of her powers as a sorceress. The couple politely walked up and stood waiting to be invited onto the balcony. Squall was slightly annoyed by the intrusion, but was glad it was them instead of Zell or Irvine. Those two would have been too excited and were likely to have ruined Squall's happy mood. Rinoa turned to greet them both, a smile on her face that hid the true feeling she felt with their secret world coming down. Squall and Rinoa linked arms and approached the two people who in all honesty, mirrored and understood their future the most. Cid and Edea smiled at the young couple and broke the ice of silence.

"Commander Leonhart, that was a dance to rival your first with Sorceress Rinoa." Cid smiled and held his hand out to Squall, who took it and shook firmly. "Sorry to interrupt, but we wanted a moment alone with both of you."

Squall broke the handshake, "We were heading inside." He half-lied.

Squall didn't really want to get too tangled up in a conversation with the old Headmaster. Not that he wanted to be rude, but Squall wasn't eager to get caught in a longwinded conversation about the Garden or politics. Rinoa however, sensed the reason they were here before Squall could grasp it.

"Of course, I'd really been wanting to ask Mrs. Kramer a few things." Rinoa looked up at Squall with her smile, knowing that he knew this was unavoidable. Then she winked and walked up to Edea and took her hand, giggling a little embarrassingly. "No Odine Bangle this time, I swear."

Edea laughed at her terrible joke, both remembering that night in Galbadia and moving on into their new friendship. Even though they barely knew each other they each began speaking in a friendly manner as Edea insisted that Rinoa only refer to her by first name. Both women walked off inside and Squall found himself alone with Cid at the balcony entrance before he realized what had happened. The mood became more serious as Squall realized why Cid was there without him needing to say it. Squall now thought he knew what was coming.

"Commander Leonhart, a moment." Cid continued to use Squall's rank as a reminder to both of them the responsibility he now bore. Squall sighed and followed him to the edge of the balcony, now overlooking the ocean but with a lot less enthusiasism.

"You've come to talk about the future of Balamb Garden with me in command, and the dangers I'm about to face." Squall spoke for him. Cid nodded.

"Not just that, I believe you are now owed an explanation and much more." Cid took a final drink of his wine and then place his glass on the edge of the solid concrete railing of the balcony. "When Edea told me of meeting you, the day she was given Ultimecia's powers. I knew that you would need more than just your terrific strength and your few friends to make that event a reality."

Cid adjusted his glasses. Then continued as Squall hoped he would get to his point quickly.

"You would need an army behind you to battle the Sorceress, a force you called SeeD on that day. I didn't know about all the other dangers and aggressors you had faced. But I knew I would have to make that force a reality for you, unfortunately it has not gone completely as I had planned. For SeeD to exist it needed strong leadership and experience, leadership that was earned before you became Commander of Balamb Garden. Now those leaders who left before the Galbadian missiles hit have returned, and like Norg." Cid paused again, adjusting his glasses again. "They aren't the type to be told what to do by someone… so new to this position."

Squall absorbed Cid's words for a moment and pondered it.

Of course, it had been nearly a year. But when Squally returned from D-District Prison a large number of senior ranking SeeD had been out putting down small resistance and a rumored new faction. A faction that Squall knew very little about, but was strong enough to warrant the full force of SeeD and senior ranking officers that had risen in ranks far before Squall had even attained the rank of SeeD. With missiles heading to Balamb Garden and the much larger threat of Ultimecia and Galbadia's Army to deal with, Squall had not had time to ponder their whereabouts.

Squall had in fact been given a quick briefing of their current location on Balamb's shores. Squall was about to retrieve a large fighting force of SeeD who had been left adrift while the world was consumed in a war against Ultimecia and her puppets. A force who may not appreciate finding their Garden now in the command of someone who was a Cadet when they left in force. Squall knew enough of history and traditional military command to see what his first issue was going to be once they were picked up.

Squall rubbed his hand against his forehead.

What a pain. He thought to himself. I guess I didn't know the full reason why Cid wanted to talk.

"So I get to face possible mutiny by other SeeD." Squall stated. "Did you come here to ask me to resign?"

Cid shook his head, "No, actually the opposite. I put you in this mess; I am actually here to request that you grant me the title of Headmaster again. So that I may advise you, Commander Leonhart, in your political, logistical and financial duties."

Squall removed his head from his hand. "Why would you bother? I remember there were three SeeD Colonels in line to succeed you. They were competing for SeeD Commander. Colonel Cerbs was especially adamant about getting it." Squall looked at Cid and leaned against the rail, his arms crossed in front of him. "I didn't want to become the Commander, and I'm not about to fight a civil war to keep that rank. One of the Colonels can have it."

Squall took his duty seriously, but no longer saw the point in keeping the rank of SeeD Commander if there wasn't any more dangerous Sorceresses to be fought. And being the Commander didn't sit well with him when Rinoa was in fact a Sorceress. Fighting against her was not an fantasy he cared to entertain, and commanding his SeeD forces to stand down from doing their duty seemed illogical at best and would likely lead to mutiny anyways. Cid seemed to disagree.

"That would be disastrous. I don't deny that they will challenge you Squall. But with me by your side as Headmaster, they would be forced to respect your acension and your wisdom in choosing an experienced advisor that would know how to keep Garden funded and running better than any of their own can. I'm very well connected And once they begin to realize your power, they will not attempt a coup." Cid took off his glasses, rubbing them on a piece of cloth he took from his vest. "Besides. SeeD is still needed to fight Sorceresses. And you can protect Rinoa better as SeeD Commander of Balamb then you can without it."

Squall pushed off the balcony and swiped his hand in front of him, fully agitated as to where the conversation had just turned.

"To hell they are! Rinoa isn't a threat! SeeD isn't needed because Rinoa is not going to become an Adel or an Ultimecia." Squall composed himself. "She is the only Sorceress now…." Squall stopped and then realization struck.

Cid put his glasses on and then spoke to Squall in a voice he had never heard before.

"Rinoa isn't the only Sorceress!" Cid let those words sink in, unease flooding his words. "Edea passed on her powers to Rinoa once she was defeated. But we don't know who inherited Adel's."

Squall stopped him short, "Rinoa absorbed both of their powers." But then paused as he remembered the battles following that one.

"No." Cid answered. "Had Rinoa really absorbed all of it, like Adel tried to absorb hers. Then she would have crushed Ultimecia easily with such strength."

Cid leaned against the railing of the balcony looking out into the vast ocean. "Squall, the SeeD who are returning tomorrow weren't just fighting some resistance faction like the rumors we spread around Garden." Cid paused and caught his breath. "They were fighting mine and Norg's secret Garden. Atlanteam Garden. A Garden full of demi-sorceresses."

The floor underneath Squall seemed to spin a little, his body was shaken as his mind. Cid's words rang in his ear.

 _But we don't know who inherited Adel's._

A Garden full of demi-sorceresses. Squall froze, so many sudden issues throwing themselves at the young Commander tonight that he now had to rely on Cid. And a returning force who are more loyal amongst themselves than with us here.

Squall needed to get away from Cid, the man had blown him up with more force than an Ultima spell. His mind wandered on what to do.

Squall looked past Cid, deep into the ballroom of Balamb Garden and through the celebrating SeeD. There as if waiting for him, his eyes met Rinoa's. Those eyes reflected his own, their troubles had just begun. Yet they would face those troubles together. Edea was next to Rinoa, looking more like a friend then a stranger and Squall knew that they had shared a similar conversation.

Squall spoke so that only Cid could hear him. "The SeeD detachment were rendezvousing with tomorrow. The ones sent against Atlanteam Garden, did they succeed in their mission?"

"No. Atlanteam disappeared and Colonel Cerb's SeeD pulled out once they discovered the location of the enemy's underwater city." Cid replied. "We only just received word that they are awaiting us on Balamb Beach yesterday."

Squall made his final selfish decision of his life.

"Then Headmaster, gather and organize all information you can on them. And don't bother me again until tomorrow. I expect a brief at 0700." Squall then walked off, barely acknowledging anyone else who cheered or saluted him. Quistis, Zell, Irvine and Selphie could read him, and kept their distance. He walked up to Rinoa and together they left to his private chambers on top of Balamb Garden.

 **Hello! Thanks for reading! I'm trying to keep my chapters short so that I can write one out every week. Or at least within 7 days of the last one being written. Please review and give me your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter 3

The Training Center inside of Balamb Garden was bursting with explosive magic and the scrape of metal weapons on monster flesh. Sounds of battle had been echoing throughout the simulated jungle since the early parts of the morning. The SeeD Commander and his Sorceress had risen early after their long night of lovemaking. Squall needed to invigorate his mind and Rinoa wanted to work on polishing control over her newfound powers. The monsters inside the center were quickly dying off, and now the largest of the beasts were being confronted by the two fighters.

Squall, with his Lionheart gunblade still covered in dripping Grat blood was fighting a massive Rexaur in an opening of the Training Center. The grass around the combatants' feet was smashed from the numerous fights that had already taken place there. Squall lowered his weapon to his side and charged the enormous Rexaur. Dressed in his traditional black jacket with white animal fur he rushed forward and became a blur as he charged the Rexaur. The beast roared and lunged its massive head towards him, jaws open and clamping shut as it tried to bite into its' assailant. Squall wasn't there and with a quick series of strikes he devastated the beast before it could react to his attacks. The Rexaur could only utter a quick complaint of pain before life was suddenly cut short. The Rexaur fell onto its side and remained still, all life drained from the massive monster.

Too easy. Squall thought as he reviewed all the monsters he and Rinoa had fought this morning. Corpses of them littered the entire Training Center and only the rustling of plants could be heard on what would normally be a cacophony of monster growls and screams. The Training Center would need to be refilled once they reached Balamb.

The source of the rustling leaves came flying out from the side of the small clearing as a surviving group of Grats made a last ditch effort to kill the humans who were systematically eliminating them. Squall lowered his weapon again, but this time stood still as a different blur swept past him without barely making a sound. The blue blur had white wings, and before the Grats could reconsider their suicidal charge Rinoa was upon them. Held aloft by her sorceress wings which were white and dazzling and seemed to keep her afloat by magic alone as she rushed them. Rinoa slowed in front of the charging Grats and made quick gestures with her right hand. Firaga burst out of each Grat, immediately incinerating them from the inside out with a resounding boom for each spell cast.

Rinoa then peacefully landed on the scorched ground beneath her, flames surrounded her from the dying Grats. The fires smoldered down as her wings retracted into her back and left no trace they were ever there. She stood there for a second and overlooked the damage she had done before turning around to face Squall.

Squall looked at his love for a moment and had a brief mental vision of a darker future while looking at her golden eyes. Then in a flash her eyes went back to her normal brown and she smiled at him with that familiar look. Squall pushed down his uneasy feeling and half-heartedly returned the grin. Something he would only do for her.

"I see you got out unscathed." He commented on her completely clean clothes and body, while he was covered in blood and anatomical parts of deceased monsters.

"You're just a brute, my lion." Rinoa replied with a small giggle. Looking at the mess of a man in front of her. "Lets get you cleaned up for your first secret meeting, Commander."

Squall frowned at her teasing, he had not been looking forward to the morning brief. It wasn't the meeting itself he despised, it was the danger of him becoming bogged down by them. Squall did not desire to become like Cid with his large gut and glasses. Squall would let Cid suffer most of those meetings if he could control that. He knew that wasn't how high ranking military officials operated, but he would resist that fate all the same.

Besides, Rinoa needed his support more than ever. He wasn't sure how the returning SeeD members would react with their upstart Commander being in a relationship with the new sorceress. Nevermind the rest of the Gaia. Life was never dull.

"Try not to remind me every minute." He said with his hand on his hip and a frown still hiding his thoughts.

Rinoa just shook her head at him. "No promises on that one. Commander."

X X X

Deep beneath the waters of the Atlantean Ocean was a hidden city that had been in existence since before the first Sorceress War. The city's existence was largely unknown, made by a seafaring people who wished to escape the continuous conflicts between the separate continents and the ambitious sorceresses who plagued them. This city was rediscovered by Cid and NORG when they first began their work to create the Gardens that would one day counter all sorceress threats. The city had been designed as several pyramids that connected close together and resembled a spike strip. The city was immoveable, so a submersible Garden had been built.

This underwater Garden was to be different than all the others. Since the people who had fled the topside world did not want to be overtaken by sorceresses, they had found a way to break apart the powers and share it amongst four girls. This practice had been done for decades, and incidentally still led to the takeover of the city by these demi-sorceresses. Cid and NORG had agreed that this Garden could be led by the four sorceresses who had inhabited their powers from sorceresses the sea-faring folk. This Garden would be their secret weapon in case all others failed. But contact with this Garden had fallen apart and the SeeDs sent by NORG had only barely escaped after a disastrous fight.

Atlantean Garden had been built for extended tours underwater and away from the pyramid cities. The smooth submersible fortress closely mimicked a shark. The design was sleek, with a dark blue grey top to help it blend in with the deep and a white underbelly. From far away it looked like a large predator, up close any adversary could see the multiple torpedo launching tubes and the air-to-surface missile bays. For now, Atlantean Garden lay with its engines quiet. Only the sounds of the classes in attendance and the SeeD training pervaded the halls. Tense and built up energy affected all those inside. They knew their sorceresses were ready to rise to the surface world of Gaia. It was just a matter of time now.

The leader of the Garden was cross legged and lost in conscious meditating upon the floor of her chambers, she absorbed the hatred and power of those inside her Garden and outside. She was a young woman of eighteen with long golden hair and permanent golden eyes from her constant stasis in her sorceress powers. Her three companions encircled her as they all let their minds be freed and focused on combining their thoughts with hers. It was dark inside the chamber, just the way she preferred it. She was the enemy of dark, at least that is what she told herself. Slackening on the meditation, the woman named Genetive finally broke her connection with everything outside of her mind. Her golden eyes opened up and pierced the darkness.

Aequitas woke with her and was the first to speak, as she often was. "Balamb Garden is nearing Balamb's shores. Your ex-lover will be meeting those aggressors who attacked us there."

Genetive could sense Aequitas' eagerness to strike at Squall, she had developed a crush on him and wasn't acknowledged while he spent that summer with them. Two years had passed now since he had been lost to them all. Chance had taken him away from Genetive, her knight that she bonded with. But it was not to be and she was curious if he remembered her. Not likely, as the Guardian Forces most SeeD junctioned took over large parts of their memories. But he would not forget again after she and her companions struck down the new Sorceress Rinoa and absorbed her powers. Genetive could sense her strength and they would need it for the worldwide struggle that would soon erupt. They needed her powers if they were to survive, the entire planet needed them and they didn't know it.

Genetive looked over to Aegias and Dolavin, the remaining two of her companions and the most quiet. While Aequitas was dark-skinned with red fiery hair, these two were from Galbadian ancestry and had kept the black hair and brown eyes that made up the population. Aegis was homely looking and fair skinned, while Dolavin was blessed with a beautiful face and had taken time above the water to get a tan. No doubt to attract the men in the Garden and compete with Aequitas to gain their attention. All of them were fit and toned, Genetive would not allow Gaia to be destroyed because they were weak.

"You two will strike at the Sorceress Rinoa while Aequitas and I assault the SeeD, do not become entangled in combat. Strike fast and if she's ready or too well guarded, pull back and we will attack again when they are not expecting it." Genetive finished, glossing over the plan that they had formulated in their minds. She liked to ensure they understood completely. Their confident looks confirmed it.

"Going to rough up your teenage sweetheart?" Dolavin teased. Genetive ignored her, but sent a mental pull on Squall to see if they were still spiritually connected. The string was getting fainter, almost gone, as he had become more strongly connected with Rinoa. She could never manipulate him physically, but she had known that he had become even more introverted as an after effect once they were separated. A sorceress' connection to her knight was never fully recoverable.

"Something close to roughening up. Either way, he won't be resting easy from now on." Genetive answered. "He had his break."

With another mental stimulus she nudged the operators inside the command deck to begin prepping the engines. They would soon strike.

 **Hello again! Still working on getting new chapters out every 7 days. So they will always be short but to the point! I wanted this chapter to explain a bit more about these new characters I am putting in for the story. I gave away a bit more than I wanted too, but I also wanted you all to understand what was going on. Don't worry, plenty of surprises to come! Please review, ask questions or just have fun reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Irvine Kinneas let out a sigh of relief as the morning brief came to an end. The brief had been in one of the Balamb Garden classrooms that wasn't shot up or damaged during the fight with Galbadia Garden. The few SeeD members that remained and Irvine's companions against Ultimecia were spread out the separate student aisles. The room was decorated with a mixture of cream and different hues of blue that made up most of Balamb's decorations. Irvine found it more relaxing than Galbadia's cold environment and less welcoming designs. Each SeeD member present had an active student console in front of them, nobody touched them. Most of the assembled people had been focused on what was being shown on the projection screen where there would have normally been a teacher. He had kept enough of his attention on what was being said to cover himself in case he was asked a question, but his mind had been on the presenter giving the brief.

She was an attractive short woman who had been a SeeD member years before Irvine and had been chosen to lead Balamb Garden's little known intelligence section. In reality, she was the senior ranking SeeD member in the room. She and her small staffed section had been left behind when Colonel Croix had departed. However, she had sided with Headmaster Cid during the NORG incident and now pledged loyalty to Squall after hearing that Cid was to be his second-in-command. Irvine had heard through the brief about Colonel Croix's failed mission to capture Atlantean Garden from these supposed rebel SeeD Sorceresses that now controlled it. That didn't even sound right to Irvine, he was still under the impression that SeeD were supposed to defeat sorceresses. Putting sorceressses in charge of a Garden sounded like a bad idea, but again he was less concerned about politics and more concerned with not letting Selphie know he was checking out the presenter's figure.

Selphie was next to him dressed in her SeeD uniform and with her brown hair slightly curled on the sides like it normally was. She was absorbed in what was being said and her mouth had dropped open at the mention of Atlantean Garden. She had an unresistable charm to Irvine, it was her indomitable cheery spirit that drew him to her more than anything else. Selphie was attaractive, but the large firm breasts of the SeeD Intelligence Officer would draw his attention faster in a crowd if he didn't already know her. He would always be like a moth to flame when it came to sexy women, and he didn't care if anyone had a problem with it. Except Selphie, most of the time.

There had only been a dozen SeeD members in the room other than Irvine, Selphie, Squall, Zell and Quistis. Balamb did not have many left after NORG and the battle against Galbadia Garden. Which was still lying in ruins out in a forest. Irvine wasn't happy what happened with his old Garden. But he was glad that the Galbadian military had kicked out all cadets and SeeD before they took over. He wondered for a brief moment where Headmaster Martine was, then decided he didn't really care.

Irvine got up, brushing his cowboy duster coat off as a matter of habit and adjusting his hat. He was about to walk away from his seat when he noticed that Selphie hadn't really moved.

"You awake?" He playfully nudged her while asking. Selphie just sighed in response and looked down more.

"How are we going to help Trabia Garden with another group of crazies causing trouble?" Selphie asked, not really expecting an answer. She looked up to the front of the classroom with a frown that she normally didn't have. Irvine swept into action.

"I'm sure Squall hasn't forgotten about Trabia, he saw how much they needed our help." Irvine explained cheerfully. "Im sure his attention is on it right now."

"At least he can pay attention, I'm sure the only thing you saw this morning was that woman's big boobs." Selphie pushed herself up and then walked down the aisle of the classroom to where Rinoa was chatting with Edea.

Irvine just coughed and fidgeted with his hat again. I thought I was careful, how did she know?

He stopped messing with his hat and went over to try his hand again at keeping Selphie happy.

X X X

Zell checked himself out in the mirror in his neatly pressed SeeD uniform. He looked good. Zell had paid close attention to how his shoulder pads fit and that his boots were properly polished the day prior. Now he was reaping his rewards. After getting dressed he ensured his blonde hair was spiked up just the way it looked best. Zell checked his teeth with a big grin one last time and then he was ready to go.

"Perfect!" He exclaimed to the mirror. Then threw out a quick succession of lead and rear punches all aimed at a single point in front of him. Everyone punch was spot on. "Just as good!"

Zell put his arms to his side and then laughed to himself. He loved being a SeeD. He glanced over to his clock which was half covered in boxing gloves and supplement bottles. It was 0800 and it was past time for him to go. Squall wanted all SeeD members present and in uniform to meet up with the stranded company under the command of Colonel Croix. Zell barely remembered the guy but wasn't too keen on having more authority come onto the Garden now that the Faculty members were a distant memory. Squall was good enough a leader and had been the driving force through most of the nightmare they had survived in the past year. If anyone had a problem with it, then they had a problem with Zell.

But right now, he had a problem with being late. He was supposed to be in that formation in the front of the Garden at 0800. It was now 0802 and he had a 5 minute run to get there. So much for his neat uniform.

"Not good." Zell grumbled as he took off.

X X X

Squall watched as Balamb Beach came into view and began to spread across the horizon until the entire small continent was visible. He stood on the command deck wearing his SeeD uniform with the Commander insignia neatly applied upon his shoulder pads. They would have felt surreal if Squall had not already been hauled through the fire a few times while in that position. A young cadet named Xist steered the Garden and kept it on course towards the beach. Another cadet next to him kept an eye on a newly installed control panel that gave coordinate readings, Garden structure status, energy levels and also scans from the area. She was new but Squall knew her as Chora. Headmaster Cid had made much needed improvements to the control center that was above the old Headmaster room. The large clunky device that Nida had once manned had been replaced with a more practical series of steering sticks and sensor balls that gave Xist incredible control over the Garden and helped limit shock and strain when the Garden made turns or emergency movements. Squall didn't want anymore people being thrown around the halls every time they were engaged. Seats had also been installed and proper restraint systems were put in place with guardrails to prevent the pilot and Commander from plunging into the office below. All this had been courtesy of the Esthar President Laguna who had somehow managed to come aboard the Garden while Squall and the others were lost in time battling Ultimecia.

Squall had a lot to ask that man. But he didn't have the time to do it now, he needed the SeeD who were awaiting him on the beach.

Nida had been taken off the controls not because Xist was better, but because Squall needed SeeD to properly run the last functioning Garden on Gaia. Trabia and Galbadia were completely out of commission. And they were not the only ones needing Balamb Garden's help.

Trabia Garden needed his help being rebuilt and the few remaining survivors there would be in trouble if a real threat came their way. Not to mention the wandering Galbadian SeeDs and cadets that had been pushed out by the army and forced to hide. Supposedly they were now being publicly shamed through the Galbadian Government's propaganda machine in an attempt to label them as war criminals.

And Esthar….. they needed help fast. Most of the city had been overwhelmed by monsters. SeeD was needed everywhere and most of it now fell upon Squall to lead and fix these issues, if he could. And he needed Colonel Croix's help to make it possible.

Both of the cadets around him could sense his brooding mood and didn't bother him unless it was necessary. Finally, Chora spoke up.

"We are approximately one mile out from the rendezvous, Commander." She said with a half nervous, half confident voice. Squall nodded back.

"Good. Slow us down and bring us in easy, give me five minutes to get down to the first floor entrance." Squall commanded them both and then entered the small elevator while ignoring his command seat that he had not even touched since being there.

"Yes Commander." They both answered in unison, but Squall was already lost in thought as the small elevator took him down. There he was met by the three people he had come to rely on for assistance in running matters outside of his expertise.

Cid had dressed more formally then he normally did with a black suit that made him look more like a politician than anything else, Xu and Nida were next to him in their SeeD uniforms. The four of them walked out of the grand office that was being remodeled for future needs and past the old secretary office which was also being redone. Nida pressed the button to call up the main elevator and then looked over to Squall.

"Engines are good, though the frame still needs some work. We were lucky Esthar brought us some supplies at Fisherman's Horizon or we would be broken down due to a lack of oil and fluid maintenance." Nida reported. Squall nodded, remembering the state he had found the Garden's lower depths in when he first went down there. Xu spoke up next.

"Were down to thirty days supply of food for the current number of personnel on board, but we have plenty of gil to restock once we hit Balamb City. After the meeting." Xu finished just as the elevator popped up and the doors opened. He was glad she only bothered to tell him of things that needed his attention.

"Good, thank you." Squall responded and then the four of them piled in and headed down.

Squall looked over at Cid, who returned the look. "I still don't see why we couldn't just meet them closer to the Fire Cavern where they were set up." Squall said.

"Squall, you have loyal followers here in Garden. But you can't be seen as running to Colonel Croix to have him join you. He needs you more than you know, he can't afford to go rogue but his pride won't let him give in to you that easily." Cid polished up his glasses as the elevator went past the second floor. "You already won, he can't stay in that forest forever and his influence is limited. So the best option is to make him do some work for the new partnership you both need and make him walk a little."

The elevator dinged as it neared the first floor and then slowed to a stop. Cid looked at Squall again and smiled.

"It's just a walk to the beach. How much could he have to complain about?"

The door slid open and they all headed out, Squall noticed several platoons in neat formation with a member of SeeD out front of in charge of each one. Each of them was properly aligned down the corridors to welcome the returning SeeD members and to march out as security while the meeting took place. A sense of pride washed through him as he looked at them, except for Zell who had just gotten into position in front of his platoon.

"It's not the walk, it's the party at the beach I'm more worried about." Squall answered. The front hatch opened as Squall felt the Garden slowly come to a stop. "And they are on time."

X X X

Squall became furious as he exchanged further words with the few members of the stranded SeeD party that met him on the beach. The waves lapped continuously against the sand behind him and the sun had long since warmed up the day. Behind the few SeeD members who met him was the endless fields of green grass and hills that he had spent a lot of afternoons training on in the past. He wasn't upset that there was only a few of them, he was upset that Colonel Croix had played his first hand in this petty political fight and sent four of his Captains to meet the Garden and Squall instead of his entire company as he had originally agreed to with Cid. Squall didn't like the meeting spot, it was too close to the ocean and in the open. There was no telling if Colonel Croix had been tracked, it was eight months since his mission failed. But you could never be sure where the enemy was and Colonel Croix had decided to waste time.

That was fine, Squall didn't care to waste any more of it. What irritated him the most was that they had come with a set of demands that basically told Squall to pack up and take Rinoa with him so they could take the Garden back. Squall had stopped them once the conversation had become absurd.

The four Captains were a tough sort, dirty and definitely not happy with their task or the current situation they were in. But they seemed impressed with Squall's display of strength with the numerous platoons of cadets lead by SeeD guarding the beach and the surrounding area. Nevermind the enormous floating Garden that had been a grounded foundation the last time they set foot on it. In reality, Squall could sense that they wanted this petty rivalry to end and to go home. They didn't know Squall, but they could also sense strength and respected that much from the upstart SeeD Commander. Squall was not in a good mood, but he did not need to waste more time or give in to Colonel Croix's game.

He gave the Captains some fresh supplies and a vehicle and told them he would wait one hour for them to return with Colonel Croix, or he would abandon them and leave with Garden. If they caused trouble, he would return in force and subdue them. None of them looked comfortable getting into the vehicle with the message they now carried, but within forty minutes from them leaving the vehicle returned. It stopped on the edge of the beach and out of it came a lone figure wearing the dark blue and grey field uniform that most SeeDs wore on long deployments. Squall didn't hesitate as he walked away from Cid and the others to confront the stubborn man who had already wasted too much of Squall's time. No, his friends' time and those who needed his help.

Colonel Croix was older than Squall but not as old as Cid, he did not seem soft either. Hard wrinkles from a rough life crossed his face, analyzing green eyes and a head topped with greying hair cropped short finished his facial features. Both of them stopped five feet from each other, looking over and measuring the other's strength and stature. Colonel Croix acted unimpressed, arrogant in the face of the younger man. Squall kept an eye on his movements and the pistol that he kept holstered on his right side. Colonel Croix spoke first, and Squall didn't like the words that came out.

"So you're the brat that Cid is hiding behind? Where is that worthless coward?" Colonel Croix began the verbal game, Squall was new but wouldn't give in.

"You're wasting the potential of an entire company of SeeD. Your mission has failed and now your hiding in the woods. Why?" Squall countered.

"Do all new SeeD come in your size? Or do they just give Commander rank away to all of Cid's weak followers?" Colonel Croix's eyes glistened as he looked at Squall, the man seemed half mad.

"No, but they make coffins in all sizes for SeeD who commit treason." Squall answered. "And I'm sure the SeeD you're hoarding in the woods would rather be out fighting battles that actually mattered."

"Treason!" The mad look got worse. Squall wasn't sure what had happened in the battles against Atlantean Garden, but something had made Croix less sane. "You filthy pants-stain! Your pathetic cadet filled Garden couldn't scare a Galbadian recruit! The only people you make nervous are the diggers who have to bury your mass graves!"

"No, just your grave Colonel Croix." Squall spoke confidently, he was mad but he had to keep his cool. "This is your last chance, as Commander of Ba-" Squall never finished his sentence as the eyes of Colonel Croix went from anger to complete shock.

Squall heard the explosions soon after and whirled around to see the sky behind Balamb Garden suddenly become filled with multiple exhaust trails of air-to-surface missiles. Missiles that were coming down from the clouds and were aimed at everyone assembled on the beach. Anti-missile shells shot out of Garden, but they were recently equipped and were too few to save anything except the Garden they were designed to protect. Squall whipped out his Lionheart gunblade from it's sheath and cast shell and protect on himself. He saw a few others do the same before the missiles impacted and the entire beach erupted into a storm of sand, death and fire.

"You brought the bitches here!" Colonel Croix screamed, then him and Squall were blown away by the concussion of a missile that landed near them. Squall's protective spells and his personal strength absorbed most of the damage, but he had no idea what was going on around him as the silence after the missile impact was suddenly shattered by the sounds of battle. Dust still filled the air, but he could see flashes of gunfire, spells, and movement of bodies all around him. He could see his cadets fighting with other people wearing strange uniforms he could not identify, and the smoke from the detonated explosives still filled the air. His Shell and Protect spells were still active but he cast a Curaga on himself and immediately felt his breathing ease and hearing improve. The entire beach was filled with fighting, dying and dead bodies. Cadets and SeeD were fighting strangers dressed in sea green camouflage uniforms. The fight was not going well for them as the missiles had done their job. Squall focused his attention and barely noticed as Colonel Croix limped past him and got in the vehicle to drive off.

Squall closed his eyes and felt energy burst from himself as he activated his limit break and charged into the mass of struggling bodies. Two enemies stepped in front of him, one holding a rifle and the other a strange sword that burst fire at him. Squall rolled through the flame and dispatched the female aggressor with a swift slash of his gunblade, bullets flew at Squall and he deflected them before bringing his weapon down on the man's head. Both of them died in a flash and before their bodies fell Squall had already cut down four more enemies and then launched himself on a squad of thirteen that had emerged from the sea. His limit break ended with their deaths. Another group emerged from the ocean and were annihilated with his Fated Circle's energy arc wave destroyed the ones in front and the back ones died in the following eruption from the ground. Squall was now half-emerged in bloodied sea-water and turned to see Zell take down four aggressors with a flurry of kicks and punches. Irvine and Selphie emerged from within Garden with more reinforcements that quickly assisted the overwhelmed beach security. Squall caught a glimpse of what looked like a submersible sinking back down into the water, but it was quick and he couldn't be sure.

Zell ran over to Squall, knocking over another enemy before getting to him. Sweat and blood glistened on him and his uniform was ruined "Yo! Squall! Are you good?" He asked Squall, who was still overlooking the sudden chaos that had erupted.

"Yeah. Zell, get inside and help Quistis keep Garden safe! I don't know what's going on but we might need to get further onto land to avoid more of those missiles." Squall yelled next to Zell's ear so he could be heard.

"You got it Squall." Zell sprinted off back into Garden, kicking a flamesword carrying aggressor back into the sea water like a pebble before heading up the ramp and inside.

Squall looked over the battlefield to see where Rinoa had gone, he wasn't sure if she had been inside or out when the fighting started. But enough of the dust had cleared and he could see more clearly. He could feel her fighting, but it was a hazy sense and something was tearing at his mind. Whatever it was, it was suddenly difficult to focus. Irvine and Selphie were fighting their way to him and the cadets that had been overwhelmed a moment ago had gained the upper hand with the arrived reinforcements and were pushing their enemies back.

Some of those enemies were still wearing what looked like scuba gear. Squall began to realize the greatest error of the day. At least, Squall believed so. Irvine and Selphie finally got to him, a frantic look in their eyes made Squall pause.

"Squall, Rinoa needs your help on other side!" Selphie gasped. Squall dashed out the water and onto the ramp, moving faster than his two friends could hope to match. His connection to Rinoa swiftly cleared up with the possibility of her being in danger, he could now feel where she was. But what he face on the other side would come to haunt him for a long time.

 **Whoo-hoo! That was a stretch! Since I am writing this as a personal goal to myself and to improve my writing skills I really wanted to make this chapter longer. I also wanted to get past a lot of important events in my story to get it really moving forward. There is a lot of material that will need to be written for this story to ever be complete and I can't wait to accomplish it!**

 **I really hope people are enjoying this. If you want me to improve somewhere, you have thoughts, opinions, complaints, etc…. let me know!**

 **Great stuff next chapter, and as always I will keep it close to 7 days gap or I will do like this one and crank out two to make up for it.**


	5. Chapter 5

Seifer had a good laugh as Raijin was kicked into the sea water off of Balamb's coast. The playful contact was made even better with Fujin's expression of triumph. Raijin splashed in the water and was climbing up the ladder when Fujin kicked him again. There was a purpose to her keeping him from bringing up his catch.

"FISH. STINK." Fujin always had a strange way of speaking, yet her meaning always came through.

The temperature was nice, a slight ocean breeze blew past them and rusted all the metal in the town. Seifer was dressed in his favorite trench coat and black shirt with the white cross.

Raijin had caught a Balamb Fish, a fish so foul smelling and unedible that he supposedly nearly killed half the Galbadian soldiers under him when he had fed it to them. Seifer had thought it was hilarious, but then he had little to laugh about back then. He was a knight of two different sorceresses this past year. His romantic dream had come true twice and then was smashed apart by his rival Squall. He hated him for what had happened, but he understood why it was a lie now.. His dream had been manipulated by the sorceresses and turned him into a foolish lapdog. Seifer was not a lapdog.

Raijin and Fujin had helped him recover from being knocked out of Lunatic Pandora by that weird Guardian Force. Once they picked Seifer up they took off from Esthar and looked out for him as his wounds healed. They took random ships to keep moving and evade the disorganized Galbadian forces. Seifer was done working with them and doubted they would listen to him now that the sorceresses were gone. That was fine, he didn't need that strict military discipline holding him back from doing things his way.

Now he was free but was also really broke. Falling from Lunatic Pandora did not give him a lot of time to access his bank account to make a withdrawal. The three of them were in Balamb and had decided to stay near the dock to avoid drawing too much attention. For most of the morning they had succeeded, then Seifer noticed a few lone figures watching them from the other side of the dock.

Balamb didn't have a police force, mostly due to the close proximity of all the SeeDs. But Seifer was not interested in making trouble here, and soon saw a crowd gathering. An angry crowd with a few young men leading it towards them. Without causing a ruckus Seifer walked onto one of the motorized boats they had commandeered and was followed closely by Fujin. Raijin sighed when he saw it was time to leave without his fish.

The crowd was getting closer and was not slowing down. Seifer shot a few fireballs in their direction that was aimed low. A few surprised calls came from them and they slowed a bit. At worst they got a little warm as the fire splashed and then extinguished in front of them. With his borrowed time Seifer and his posse started the motorized boat and took off from the dock. The crowd swarmed the dock of Balamb behind them but the posse didn't notice as the speedboat sped out to the open ocean.

Seifer didn't know where he was going, but he knew they could no longer stay there. He just felt really useless lately, as if he didn't have any other purpose but to keep moving forward.

"WHERE?" Fujin asked him for directions. Seifer looked at her, smiled and didn't answer. He had no idea.

"I got the hang of fishing now, ya' know?" Raijin pounded his chest with pride. "Now we can eat anytime!"

"CRAP." Fujin waved him off. "SEIFER?"

Fujin pointed ahead towards something that Seifer may not have noticed as he drove the boat. Off to the left and over a sea cliff near where they were skimming on the waves, Seifer could see Balamb Garden. The massive blue and cream colored Garden was floating mightily above the beaches like a proud floating creature. Surrounding the military training academy were numerous Cadets and a few SeeD who were standing around in groups along the shore. Seifer shrugged, not wanting to get involved with that group again if he could avoid them. He had seen the Garden floating over them earlier, and didn't care to see it now. But Fujin kept pointing further and he realized that she wasn't pointing at the Garden. Seifer immediately slowed their stolen boat and was shocked at what he saw in front of him.

"That's a submarine, ya' know." Raijin yelled out. Dark grey metal covered the top of the massive submersible that was equal in size to Balamb Garden. But lacked the decorative flair and instead had a more practical design meant to glide through water.

Seifer and his posse looked on as side ports opened on the submarine. Dozens of small surface missiles came out, arced out and then impacted on top of the Garden and on the Beach. The chaos was hidden in sudden eruptions of smoke.

"We go to to hel-" Seifer reacted faster than Raijin could speak and slammed the throttle completely forward, hurtling the boat towards the beach. They were too late as numerous squads came up from the watery depths. Seifer aimed the boat for a group still coming out, he was confident he would hit them.

"Hang on." Seifer yelled.

 **Hello everyone, its been awhile since I have posted. But I am glad to be back. This chapter introduces Seifer and brings his posse with him. A quick introduction but I didn't want to beat around the bush in introducing him. Much better content to come!**

 **Hello** derrandumbthrowaway! Thank you for your review! Yes, limit break was in the game but I still like to use it and I think of it as a mental break, or them reaching a physical limit that ignites their special powers. Perhaps a better wording is needed!

Dark Abyss is great because the actual world of Final Fantasy 8 is very small and with so much fighting and actual dying that occurred it fits in my story best. So much so that I have to keep it! But you will see why as we continue.

Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you enjoy it and please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Balamb Beach reverberated with the sounds and scenes of combat as the students and SeeD fought their unknown adversaries. Blood washed away in the sea water as both side met sudden deaths or slowly died from their wounds. Magic flashed by and bullets tore through bodies in intense moments as the two side sought to end each other. Squall was not a stranger to the battlefield and his senses were heightened during the conflict, but Rinoa was not like him and the other SeeD. Though Rinoa had fought alongside him and the others in numerous skirmishes against monsters and Ultimecia she never coped well with massed human violence. Squall didn't blame her, she did not know how to process the orchestrated violence that humans dealt to each other when it was on a large scale.

Squall jumped off Garden's entrance ramp and focused into the madness that laid before him, he saw flashes of magic coming from the ocean and his eyes finally found Rinoa. She stood alone alongside what was once members of SeeD who had likely been destroyed by the aggressors who were casting their magic now towards her. Firaga burned around her, blasting steam and glassing the sand around her feet. Her shield held and she fired back at her aggressors with a blast of Blizzaga, which was incinerated before it reached her target. Squall blinked and then corrected himself as he saw four figures clad in the dark grey aquatic uniforms. Except there was something different about them. He didn't keep looking and instead hurtled himself towards Rinoa as fast as he could run. His breathing increasing as he pushed himself to run faster. More magic struck at Rinoa and she stumbled back until her shield crumbled into her and she was knocked off balance onto the glassed sand. Squall jumped over Rinoa's collapsed body and dove directly into the Firaga spell. He swung his Lionheart gunblade directly into the core of the fiery spell and deflected most of the damage away from him.

His uniform coat was now singed and damaged beyond repair. He tore off the remains and only his bare chest stood between him and any aggressors now. The four figures did not attack him however, and instead began to spread out more. Rinoa raised herself up next and recasted her Dispel shield with an angry expression on her face.

"Oh look Genetive, your crush has already gotten half-naked for you." The assailant on the far left joked; Squall was taken aback. Something about that name struck him as familiar. The speaker was female, Squall realized all four of them were. Their faces were hidden behind black diving masks and their bodies were covered in bulky protective uniforms so he didn't realize right away. Their movements gave them away.

Squall looked over at Rinoa for a second and saw blood lining her mouth. "Are you alright?" He whispered loud enough to be heard by her. Rinoa didn't answer and instead massive lightning came from her fingertips and struck towards them in a powerful Thundaga spell that could electrify a hundred bodies. The four women moved their arms in a similar pattern and rock came jutting out from below the water and three chunks of massive stone hurtled towards the lightning strike, stopping and fizzling it out completely. Only three of them casted the Earth spell, the fourth had casted a Blizzaga spell and casted dozens of lethal ice projectiles towards them. Squall barely raised his gunblade in time to deflect the first few and only through Rinoa's quick actions of pulling him within her shield did he not become impaled again with ice magic. Immediately after blocking Rinoa's Thundaga the other three joined their partner in hammering Rinoa's shield with more Blizzaga magic. Rinoa was struggling to keep her shield up, sweat and her own blood covered her face. Squall wasn't going to wait for her shield to fail and summoned Leviathan from within his mind, coaxing the strong Guardian Force to summon a massive wave. Anything to give him and Rinoa to regroup with the other surrounding SeeD. But just as Leviathan's protective shield, the four mysterious women were surrounded by what must have been a dozen of their minions. They rose from the sea water and began to pelter Squall with gunfire, and to his dismay the four women each began charging up Thundaga. Leviathan could not absorb that much damage and that magic would hurt them badly; Squall then noticed something beyond them.

Squall saw a boat flying towards them and then he turned his attention back to the four dominating figures still half submerged in the beach's tides. Squall grabbed Rinoa, felt Leviathan's shield fail and the pain of bullets pounding his skin. And he watched as the entire group in front of him was flattened by a Dollet Speed Boat with Seifer and his posse at the helm. The boat grinded to a halt in the sand next to them and the familiar voice of his old rival filled the suddenly quiet air.

"Look puberty boy, I know you just discovered girls but get them in a room before you strip." Seifer called out to Squall as he jumped off the wrecked boat.

"Seifer?" was all Squall managed to say as he pulled himself and Rinoa up. They were both in bad shape. Selphie, Irvine and Zell came running past the boat and helped them up, Zell sneered when he saw Seifer standing on the beach.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He screamed at him.

Raijin and Fujin hauled themselves out of the boat, a little less dramatically then Seifer.

"We came to deliver an ass-whoopin ya' know!" Raijin quipped, "And we deliver by sea!"

Fujin pushed past and pointed behind Squall. "ALIVE."

Squall turned, barely holding onto Rinoa with his left arm and gunblade in his right. His body hurt, but he quickly forgot that as he looked upon the frozen ocean in front of him. Somehow the four women had frozen the water around them and barely missed being crushed with their less fortunate troops. The ice cracked, then shattered and exposed the four women. The one in the middle growled at them loudly and ripped off her helmet. Strikingly blonde hair poured out exposing a beautiful white face that shook Squall to his core. It wasn't the face, it was the eyes he knew. Those golden eyes had peered into his soul before, in a short period of his life that he no longer remembered. But she seemed to know him.

"Squall, you' re coming with me." She said coolly. The four women charged up the beach towards him and his stunned group of friends.

"Puberty boy, you're not supposed to stick your d-" Then they were all consumed by vicious magic.

 **Hey everyone! Glad to get back in motion again! I've been working this one through my mind and really wanted to get Seifer and his Posse into this chapter. More awesome fun to come soon as I get back into my rhythm of short but weekly writings. Have a great weekend!**


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